Posted on 09/25/2018 5:13:44 AM PDT by EyesOfTX
Her dad is a Soros operative.
In May 2015, I drove alone from Los Angeles to Charlotte, NC in about 7 days. I had two dogs and a cat with me and stopped often to eat, get gas, walk the dogs and make sure everyone had water. I stopped every evening before it got dark to find a motel for the night. That trip can easily be made in 4 to 5 days just by being less leisurely than I was.
There is a tremendous danger in permitting 36 year old unverified -- indeed, largely contradicted --allegations about high school misdeeds to define someone's character. If that becomes the standard, then it could fairly be applied judicial nominations at all levels, to politicians...even to ordinary citizens in private life. The Democrats have strong short-term political incentives to do it anyway...but what's the incentive for those Republicans to help establish that as the new standard?
To me, a refusal to let that become the new standard is really the most compelling argument to side with Kavanaugh on this, even if you're a squishy moderate.
500 miles isn’t that hard, especially if you are not driving. It’s less than 8 hours.
Turn on a book, and 500 miles goes pleasantly.
A thousand miles is rough to drive, but doable.
Judge Kavenaugh’s name is on the list of candidates for nomination for SCOTUS - and his name on that list was a positive rather than a negative in the eyes of the voters who elected Mr. Trump.That fact alone suffices to justify the Senate in voting on the confirmation of Judge Kavenaugh’s nomination without any inquiry - certainly without any public inquiry - into his character.
The committee’s work is finished.
CALL THE QUESTION!
Every senator up for reelection would bail.
Be that as it may, there is no other way forward, since the Democrats obviously can and will mass-produce character assassinations of Judge Kavenaugh (or anyone else so situated).If Judge Kavenaugh’s confirmation fails, that reflects on the character of any senator who votes against it - and on the character of anyone who subsequently votes for the reelection of that senator.
If Judge Kavenaugh’s confirmation fails, his only recourse will be to sue every participant in the assassination of his character. Trusting that by the time appeals reach SCOTUS, there will be a majority on SCOTUS to overturn NY v. Sullivan (or at least to carve out an exception to the “public figure” rule for a judge or any other nominee to SCOTUS). After all, the assassination of the character of Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavenaugh reflect directly on the reputation of SCOTUS itself - and the fact that everyone on Mr. Trump’s list might file a favorable amicus brief on that point wouldn’t hurt.
The lesson of this travesty is that the reputation of the Senate Judiciary Committee - and hence of the Senate itself - has been compromised. The Senate Judiciary Committee is not now serviceable in vetting a nominee for SCOTUS, since anyone whom POTUS Trump would consider nominating knows better than to submit his/her reputation to its process. And the Senate as a body is no more trustworthy in that role.
This means that any future Trump nominee for SCOTUS - for the Kennedy seat or any other - will insist that Mr. Trump obtain the advice of senators able to vouch for the confirmability of his nomination before he accepts the nomination. And that the full senate vote expeditiously on the confirmation of the nominee.
There are only about eight Republican senators up for reelection this year.But any Republican senator who votes against confirmation of Kavenaugh votes for cynicism, calumny, slander, and libel. I think every Republican who votes against confirmation takes a very serious risk of compromising turnout.
I'm not sure that even with republican senators vouching that some wouldn't back out and leave a nominee hanging.
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